I spoke with A.K. Hussan, a member of the Toronto Community Mobilization Network (TCMN), one of the major bodies coordinating events and protests around the G20 summit in Toronto. Hussan discusses the TCMN’s structure and goals, what the issues are that they have mobilized around, etc…

1. What is the Toronto Community Mobilization Network (TCMN)? [1:24]

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2. Why is the TCMN opposing the G20 and G8? [1:34]

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3. From the perspective of the TCMN, what will be taking place on the inside of the G20 and G8 summits? [1:16]

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4. Hussan’s thoughts on the G20 media coverage thus far [0:33]

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The network is a collection of Toronto-based organizers and allies, that will use the fleeting moment of the G8/G20 meetings in Toronto in June 2010 in Ontario to come together and share the work that we do every other day of the year. We will build the momentum for a movement for Indigenous Sovereignty and Self-Determination, Environmental and Climate Justice, Migrant Justice and an End to War and Occupation, Income Equity and Community Control over Resources, Gender Justice and Queer and disAbility rights.

The so called ‘leaders’ and bankers of the twenty richest countries are meeting in Huntsville and Toronto on 25-27 June 2010 at the G8 and G20 Summits. They are meeting to make decisions that will result in more exploitation of people and the environment. They want to ensure that the systems that increase colonization, wars and displacement are maintained. In direct resistance, we are coming together to create a just world that puts people before corporate and elite profit.

Academic and activist Vijay Prashad on the ‘Third World Project’ and the G8

The 3rd World Project was a very hopeful post-World War II economic justice and political equality effort amongst the majority of countries in the global south (‘the Darker Nations’ of Prashad’s book on the subject). The aim was to “create a different kind of world for their people.”

In this interview, Prashad outlines how the G8 (then the G7) was created to destroy the project in order to ensure global economic and political supremacy of the G7 countries. They were able to undermine it through promotion of corporate globalization, and through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

Prashad recaps the history of the 3rd World Project, analyzes how it was undermined and discusses what this has meant for the people of the south. He then discusses the meaning of current transfer of power from the G8 to the G20.

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Part I: What was the ‘3rd World Project’?

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Part II: How the G7 set out to destroy the 3rd world project. And succeeded.

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Part III: What is the meaning of the power shift from the G8 to the G20 currently taking place?

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Do you only have a little bit of time, but want to learn a lot more about the G20 and G8?

Hear People’s Summit Coordinator Marya Folinsbee on what the alternative People’s summit is and why it is taking place, what many of the issues are that have set off the protests, and why you should come out to this event to hear important alternative voices on the G20.

1. What is the People’s Summit? [1:52]

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2. What are the G20/G8 issues that People’s Summit will be discussing? [2:18]

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3. People’s Summit workshops [1:25]

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4. Reflections on the billion summit dollars [1:19]

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5. Why should people protest?! [1:05]

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This people’s version of the summit is June 18-20th, one week before the G20 gets behind the fence and does theirs.

From the website: The 2010 People’s Summit is civil society’s alternative “counter Summit” happening the week before the G8 and G20 Summits in Huntsville and Toronto this June 25th – 27th. Together we will create a space where diverse local and international movements can democratically organize to advocate and educate for global justice.